albers



Feb.- 26, 1946-. J. R. ALBERS ErAL 22,726

GOVERNOR FOR WIND DRIVEN PROPELLERS Original Filed Feb. 26, 1956 5'. lllllllllllllllllll" FIG.4"

INVENTORSI' Jorm R. ALBERS GERHARD H. ALBERS' BY% THEIR ATTORNEY Reiuued rib. 2mm

GOVERNOR;

PRO

ronwmnnmvns.

rmans'y John a. Albers and cum n. libel-n, slam;

ly. tion, Sioux City, Iota Iowa, assignors to Wincharger Corpora- Iowa,acorporationoiMinne- Original No. 2,211,011; dated March initial-serial No. 65,834, February 28, 1938.

Application v m reissue January Ill, 1944, Serial 180.318,:

8 Claims. (01. 170-45) Our invention relates to a governor for propellers oiithe type' for charging batteries, etc.

' resistance An object of our invention is to provide a governor which is" readily attachable to a wind driven propeller or any standard type.

A iurther object of our invention is to provide an improved governor which will accurate govern thespeed or such propellers so that the speed. will not become too great. 4 a

A further object of our invention is to provide a governor having features for utilizing the governing action by natural forces with a minimum number or movable parts.

A-iurther objector our invention is to provide a governing device in which a pair of centrifugaliy urged flaps are adapted to present their broadened surfaces in the-line of travel of the propellers so as to cause a turbulent eflect where- 'in centrifugally urged wind or air forces will be located in the path, of travel of the propeller.-

blades, thereby causing an abnormal condition wherein the normal wind forces striking against the propellers are disrupted to correspondingly cause a loss 01 eihciency in the rotating blades to provide a governing eflect.

A further object of our invention is to provide such a governor which is simple in construction and can be manufactured at a very reasonable cost.

The features of our invention which we believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in ,in a structure which will now'be explained.

We have used the numeral III to designate the wind driven propeller or prime mover which can be made of any suitable form usable in the art, and preferably made from wood with .radial blades. The hub of the propeller is indicated by the numeral II and includes the-two threaded studs' II. We provide the metal casting ll having the projecting ears it which include suitable openings through which the studs I2 pass, and which ears are then locked by means of nuts Ill. The casting II extends into the'two integral arms II. It will'be' noted that the arms is are generally at'right angles to the longitudinal vertical axis oi the propeller. The left hand arm l6, as shown in the drawing, includes the downwardly bent for]: member ll, and the right hand arm, the upwardlybent'iork member 18. These members receive the members I! which are pivotaily pinned at 20 to turn about an axissubstantiaily parallel to the axis of prime mover Ill. The members I8 are attached firmly to the arcuate air resisting plates 2|. The plates 2| are of. a fairly substantial length and width, the proportionate width being shown more clearly in Figure 2, and have surfaces large enough to produce'a substantial amount or air resistance or turbulence.

6 A further member 22 rocks pivotally upon the the appended claims. Our invention itself, both as to its organization and mannerot operation, together with further objects and advantagesthereoi, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gdvemor attached to a standard wind driven propeller,

Figure 2 is a side view 01 Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlargeddetaii in elevation of the governor, and" Figure 4 is an enlarged detail taken generally along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3.

The principal problem encountered in generator plants for farm uses, etc., is that of accurately governing the speed of the wind propeller which drives the generator. It the speed becomes too great, it will result in overcharging and the like with its attendant injurious results.

It is an object of our invention to provide a governor which can be easily attached to such pro-.

pellets which will accurately govemthe maximum speed of the same. "To attain this end we use the principles or centrifugal torso and wind stantiai opposing wind resistance. plates 2! are normally held in positions with reextending center stud 23, and includes openings at each end, which openings receive the extremities of the rods 24 at 25. The rods 24 are slightly bent at 26 and are pivotally received at 2! in openings in the ears 28, which ears are integral 1 extensions 01' themembers It. Attach'ed'at 29 to both rods are the ends 30 of the tension springs 31. The other end oi the springs II are attached at 32 to the upwardly bent rnembers 83 which are suitably attached at 3| to the .The arcuate plates 2| are so. shaped andposi-' tinned that the curvature thereo! is a true circle and they lie normally in a'cir'cls whose center is at the center of the propeller. 'Inother words, during normal rotation and'when the plates are not deflected, they revolve directly in the path 0! rotation of the propeller in the space swept through thereby without encountering any sub- .That is, the

spect to prime mover ll so that they'lie in a plane substantially parallel to the direction-of motion oithoseplates. The; tension in the springs will maintain only a certainresi stance,and it will out exceeding this limit.

be noted that the pivoting points of the arcuateplates II are of! of the true horizontal center, therefore, after the speed has been built up over a certain point, the centrifugal force of the plates 2| and the rods 24 will tend to throw the plates to the position as shown by the dotted lines at 35. As soon as the plates have been thrown out of the true circle of rotation which they are normally in, there will be wind effects opposing the plates as indicated by the arrows 35. As the speed is built up to a substantially greater degree than that necessary, the plates will furthermore take their maximum position as' shown in the dotted structure at 31 wherein the opposing forces at 38 will be considerably greater. Since such opposing forces are directly opposite to the direction of rotation of the propeller in a recurrent path' as indicated by the arrows 39, the result will be to-retard the speed of rotation of the propeller, and it will be slowed up thereby, and the size of the plates 2| together with the ten sion of the springs 3| are so adjusted to maintain the propeller at a certain maximum speed with- In other words, the tendency of the combined forces is such as to maintain a certainconstant maximum speed unoutwardly, there ,will be substantially no disrupting or spoilage efl'ect, since the surface presented against the wind forces is at anabsolute minimum, and the spoiling effect will, correspondingly, gradually increase radially, proportionately to the deflection of the flaps away from such normal position.

It will now be seen that we haveprovided a governor for wind driven propellers which emciently utilizes natural forces in suitably governing the speed of such propellers, that the gov-' der any conditions by virtue of-the braking action of the plates.

It will be noted that the attachment of the rods 2! to the tension springs 3| and especially to the pivotally mounted member 22 at 25, provides the feature of insuring the same deflection for both plates, so that one plate will not be deflected more than another in the case of a weaker spring.

A further important action which takes place in the use of this governing device is as follows:

During rotation of the entiredevice, and as explained heretofore, the, flaps 2| will be centrifugally urged upon corresponding speed to the dotted position shown in .Figure 3, and in this position a further action will take place other than the braking action. When in this position,

the effect of the flaps is to cause a substantially large volume of air to be impelled radially and centrifugally therefrom and outwardly in an annular formation, or in a plane in which the impeller blades Ill rotate. Also, these wind forces or disturbances will occupy a cylinder either the width of the flaps or substantially greater. Naturally, theamount of air impelled outwardly will be proportionate to the amount of deflection of the flaps from their normal position to their position of greatest resistance so that, as a result, the faster the structure rotates, the greater is the effect and extent. If the propeller were running in a normal medium, that is, in a smooth wind stream unaflected by turbulence, there would be no effect of this spoilage, or the effect caused by the turbulence of the air forces, and the propeller could, in the absence of these flaps, rotate at a considerably higher speed than that desired. However, by virtue of this description, it'willbe clearly seen that, since the blades will not be rotating in the natural medium caused by the wind forces thereon, they will slow down under ernor is readily attachable, and can be manufactured at a very reasonable cost.

While we have shown and described the particular embodiments of our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes l and modifications may be made without departing from our invention in its broader aspects, and we, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

We .claim as our invention: 1. In a rotating wind driven structure a propeller'blade supported to rotate about an axis,

an arm secured to turn with and be driven by said blade and extending-from the axis thereof, a plate pivotally attached to the free-end-part of said arm, and spring resisting means acting .upon said plate as it is swung by centrifugal force upon its, pivotal attachment to said arm to offer opposing wind effects to the rotation of said blade, the pivotal axis of the plate being pos-itioned at right angles to the plane of rotation angles to the plane of rotation of the propellers,

and said pivotal axes being positioned on the horizontal centers of the plates, spring means for normally holding said plates in inoperative position, said plates adaptedto be deflected out of the path of rotation thereof by centrifugal force applied against said spring means during rotation of the propeller, means for causing an equal deflection of said plates including a cross member. pivotally, mounted on the propeller shaft end,

connecting rods attached at the ends of said cross member and to said plates, said spring means being attached to said rods.

3. In a rotating wind driven structure a plupivotal axes of said plates being positioned at right angles to the plane of rotation of. said propellers, and said pivotal axes being positioned oil the horizontal centers of the plates, tension means cooperant with said plates and resistant to the pivoting of the same by centrifugal action caused by the rotation of the propeller, said plates normally rotating in their circle of rotarods attached to the ends of said cross member positions operating to govern the speed of said propeller blades.

4. In a rotating wind driven structure a plurality of propellerblades supported to rotate about an axis, arms secured to turn with and be saves and to said plates, said plates in their various driven by said blades and positioned substantially at right angles thereto, plates pivotally attached atthe extremities of said arms, spring resisting means acting upon said plates as they are swung by centrifugal force upon their pivotal attachments to said arm to oii'er opposing wind forces to the rotation of said blades, the pivotal axes of the plates being positioned at right angles to the plane. of rotation of the propellers; and said pivotal axes being positioned of! the horizontalattachments to said arm to offer opposing wind eflects to. the rotation of said blades, the pivotal axes of the plates being positioned at right angles to the plane of rotation of the propellers, and

- i said pivotal axes being positioned 01! the horizontal centers of the plates, said plates adapted to rotate in a circle within the tip circle or the propeller blades, said plates in their various positions operating to govern the speed oi said propeller blades.

l 6. In a rotating wind driven structure, a pluralityof radially extending propeller blades, a shaft attached to said blades about which said blades rotate, an arm attached at the central Junction of said blades and extending radially therefrom and tranversely thereto, a pair of plates pivotally attached at the ends of said arm. the pivoting axes of said plates being at right angles to the plane of rotation of the propellers, spring means for normally holding said plates in inoperative position, said plates adapted to'be deflected out of the path of rotation thereof by centriiugal force applied against said spring means during rotation of the propeller, means'for caus ing an equal deflection of said plates including a cross member pivotally mounted on the propeller shaft end, connecting rods attached at the ends of said cross member and to said plates, said spring means being attached to said rods, the weight of said connecting rods providing said centrifugal force as said rods are rotated.

7. In a rotating wind driven structure, a pinrality or radially extending propeller blades, a shaft attached to said blades about which said blades rotate, an arm attached at the central junction of said blades and extending radially therefrom and transversely thereto, a pair of plates pivotally attached at the ends of said arm,

the pivoting axes of said plates being at right angles to the plane of rotation of the propellers, spring means for normally holding said plates in inoperative position, said plates being adapted to be deflected out of the path of rotation thereof by centrifugal force applied against said spring means during rotation of the propeller, means for causing an equal deflection or said plates including a cross-member pivotally mounted on the propeller shaftaxis, connecting rods atsaid plates said spring means being attached tached at the ends of said cross-member and to to said rods, the weight of said connecting rods providing said centrifugal force as said rods are rotated, said plates in their deflected positions presenting increasedjwind resistance to rotation of said structure.

8. In a rotating wind driven structure, a shaft adapted for rotation about its axis, two propeller blades, each attached at one end to said shaft to form a hub, said blades being mo in line with each other on opposite sid s of said shaft .and extending radially therefrom.

and means to improve the gyrosccpic balance of said structure and to govern the speed thereof comprising an arm attached to said hub midway between the ends of the arm with the two parts of said arm on either side of said point of attachment extending radially from said shaft and at right angles to-the line of said blades, a plate pivotally mounted on each part of said arm with its pivotal axis adjacent the end of the arm and parallel to the axis of said shaft, a member pivotally mounted on said hub with its axis coincident with the shaft axis, a connecting rod connected-between each plate and said member at points removed from their respective pivotal axes, said member and connecting rods operating to maintain said plates at all times in like positions with respect to the axis of. said shaft, spring means biasing said plates to a position in which they are inoperative to cause any substantial braking of said structure, and centrifu al force means including said rods to move said plates away from inoperative position at speed of rotation ofsaid blades above a predetermined speed.

JOHN R. ALBERS. GERHARD H. ALBERS. 

